Assembler for line-composing machines.



T. S. HOMANS.

ASSEMBLER FOR LINE COM-POSING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1913.

1,149,767, Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS S. HOMANS, OF HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONALTYPESETTING MAQHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

Application filed June 16, 1913. Serial No.. 774,035.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS S. HOMANS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hempstead, in the county of Nassau and a rotary star wheelwhich cooperates with the assembling matrices and serves to push them in'.a direction downwardly and forwardly to stack them in a line in theassembling channel. Frequently, however, it happens that when thematrices fall too closely together or in using-very thick matrices,there is insuflicient space between the points of the star wheel toallow the matrices to reach the bottom of the assembling channel beforethey are pushed forward by the following point of the star wheel,thereby causing jamming which interrupts the operation of the machine.

The primary object'of the present invention is to provide a star wheelor equivalent assembling stacking device which is not only rotatable butwhich also has a reciprocatory or shifting axis whereby greaterclearance is provided for the falling matrices and heavier or thickermatrices can be used.

. To this end, the invention consists in cer- I tain improvements, andcombinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter morefully described, the novel features being pointed out particularly inthe claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawing :-Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion-ofthe matrix assembling mechanism of machines of thls class and embodyingthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 1sa front elevation, partly in section, of a portion ofthe ,assemblerincluding the star wheel, and showing the elements in a differentposition as compared with Fig. 2.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in theseveral views.

In the accompanying drawing, the invention is shown in connection withthe matrix I assembling mechanism as commonly used on line composingmachines of the linotype class. It will be understood, however, thatSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

' the invention is not restricted necessarily to cast. A shaft 3 ismounted in the assembler plate 1, this shaft having a belt pulley 4fixed to its forward end and tight and loose pulleys 5 fixed to its rearend. Rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 3, and consequently thepulley 4 in the direction indicated by the arrow, by a belt orequivalent means cooperative with one of the pulleys 5. A matrixdelivery belt 6 passes over the pulley 4c, the upper stretch of thisbelt moving in a downwardly inclined direction beneath the delivery endof the magazine and serves to convey the matrices delivered from themagazine to the assembler. Accordin to the present invention, the starwheel or equivalent device for assembling and stacking. the matrices inthe line is reciprocatory or shiftable in a direction longitudinally ofthe matrix assembling channel. This star wheel in the construction shownis fixed to turn with its driving shaft 8, this driving shaft beingjournaled in a sleeve or bearing 9, and this sleeve or bearing, togetherwith the shaft 8, is shiftable in a direction toward and from theassembling line of matrices. in the assembling channel. In the presentinstance. the assembler plate 1 is formed with a notch 10 which providesa horizontal guide for the sleeve or bearing '9, the latter beingflattened or otherwise shaped to fit in the notch and cooperate with theupper and lower walls thereof. According to the present invention, thisstar wheel is shifted t0-- ward and from the assembling line of matriceswhile revolving. Different means may be provided for reciprocating andrevolving which is fitted to rotate on a hub 14 which surrounds thebearing for the shaft 3, and the opposite end of the link 12 is formedwith a bearing 15 which is rotatably mounted on the sleeve 9 whichlatter surrounds the shaft 8 of the star wheel. A driving gear 16 isfixed on the shaft 3, another driving gear 17 is mounted on the shaft 8and is connected thereto by the friction spring 18, and an idler gear 19meshes with the gears 16 and 17 and is mounted on the same axis whichconnects the adjacent ends of the links 11 and 12. A crank pin 20 isfixed to the'gear 19 at a point which is eccentric to the axis ofrotation of this gear, and a link 21 has one end attached to this crankpin, the opposite end of said link 21 being connected to a stationarypivot 22.

Rotary motion applied to the shaft 3 through one of the driving pulleys5 causes the pulley 4 which drives the matrix delivery belt 6 to move inthe direction indicated by the arrow. This motion of the shaft 3 will betransmitted through the idler gear 19 to the gear 17, the latter causingthe star wheel 7 to revolve in the direction of the arrow,

in Fig. 2. As the gear '19 revolves, the link 21 will hold the crank pin20 thereon at a constant distance fromthe stationary pivot 22, andconsequently the' links 11 and 12 will be shifted toward and fromalinement, as will appear from Figs. 2 and 3, thereby causing the starwheel to reciprocate or shift in a direction longitudinally of thematrix assembling channel. Continuity in the driving of the rotary starwheel is obtained as i the idler gear 19 shifts with the links 11 and12, and its axis is thereby maintained at a constant distance from theaxes of the gears 16 and 17. Each complete revolution of the idler gearreciprocates the star wheel toward and from the assembling line ofmatrices.

As the star wheel recedes from the assembling point, it provides morespace in which the matrices-may drop to the bottom of the channel in theelevator, thereby insuring correct assembling of the matrices whetherthey drop closely together or whether very thick or heavy matrices areused, this additional space for the accommodation of the droppingmatrices being ob-' tained without increasing the size of the starwheel.

I claim as my invention 1. In a line composing machine, a matrixassembling channel, a rotary star wheel for assembling matrices intoline in said channel, and means for positively. reciprocating of saidchannel and transverse to the axis of rotation of the assembler.

4. In a machine of the linotype class, matrix assembler mechanismembodying a horizontal assembling channel, a star wheel revoluble on ahorizontal axis arranged transversely of said channel, and means for 1positively reciprocating the star wheel in a direction transverse to itsaxis.

5. In a line composing machlne, the combination with a matrix assemblingchannel,

an assembler located at the entrance to said channel and reciprocable ina rectilinear direction toward and from the same and in parallelismtherewith, and means for simultaneously and positively revolving andreciprocating the assembler.

6. In a machine of the linotype class, the combination with a matrixassembling channel, of a star wheel revolubly mounted. at the entranceend thereof and having means for guiding it to move toward and from thechannel in a direction parallel with the length thereof, a driving shafthaving a driving gear thereon, a driving gear operatively connectedtothe star wheel, a air of links pivotally connected at their a jacentends and also pivotally connected at their remote ends to said drivingshaft and star wheel, an idler gear mounted concentrically with thepivot connecting the adjacent ends of said links and cooperative withthe gears on the driving shaft and star wheel, and a link eccentricallyconnected to the idler gear for flexing said links during the operationof the star wheel. g

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

THOMAS S. HUMANS;

' Witnesses:

CON. A. KRIEG, WM. WEMSSEN.

